Fall 2023: Cleaning the Capital

Registration for the Fall campaign begins on August 15, 2023.

The Cleaning the Capital campaign is a citywide cleanup that occurs in the spring and fall of every year. Residents come together as a community and combine efforts to make our city clean and green. Litter pickup projects must be registered, and participating teams, upon request, receive a cleanup starter kit to assist them with their projects. 

2023 marks the 30th year of the Cleaning the Capital Program! The annual cleanup campaign first began in 1994 as a springtime cleanup. In 2006, due to the spring campaign's overwhelming success an annual fall campaign was added. Since 1994, more than 1.4 million volunteers have participated in nearly 30,000 cleanup projects throughout the city. As a result, an estimated 1,000,000 kilograms of waste has been removed from our public spaces. 

The Cleaning the Capital Program is not-for-profit initiative and relies heavily on the generosity of sponsors who offer financial and in-kind support. Cleaning the Capital is an exciting way for residents to foster community pride by cleaning up their parks, bus stops, woodlots, ravines, shorelines and pathways, while enjoying the outdoors and ensuring that Ottawa stays clean, green, and litter-free.

Participants can register their cleanup projects by using the online registration form available at ottawa.ca/clean. The registration form populates an interactive map, showing which locations have been chosen for cleanup projects. Cleanup kits, which include garbage bags, recycling bags, and gloves, will be made available for pick-up by registrants at one of ten City of Ottawa facilities across the city.

Important dates

• August 15, 2023: Registration opens

• September 15, 2023 - October 15, 2023: Fall Cleaning the Capital campaign

• October 1, 2023: Registration closes

• October 31, 2023: Deadline to submit your online cleanup report